All thanks to a bowl of ice cream
by Electric Reader
Summary: We all need more reasons to love ice cream, surely, are they ever enough? DRAMIONE! (This is for anyone who read 'Are you insane and hates me right now, please accept my hardly enough attempt at an apology in form of this dramione one-shot? )


_**All thanks to a bowl of icecream**_

_~Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos  
-Don Kardong_

Mrs. Finn thanked Hernioned and Draco profusely for what seemed like the thousandth time before she let them go

"She really has no idea that we are forced to do this?" asked Draco.

Hermione smiled; Draco was her partner for the 'Lend a Helping Hand' community service that the ministry had recently developped. They had to perform an act of charity for muggles in any ay they could without magic. Draco and Hermione were signed up for babysitting; Harry and Ron were with sewage treatenebt and Ginny and Luna were assigned to the local library.

"Hermione?" Draco asked again. "You know anytime you feel like answering…"

Hermione laughed, "No Draco," she told him, "she doesn't. Poor Mrs. Finn thinks we are angels from heaven who sweeoped down just at the moment her babysitting business was overwhelming her and who never even asked for payment."

"Well, it sucked," he remarked.

Hermione hummed her response and they continued to walk in silence. She loved walking down the road from Mrs. Finn's baby care, it was so beautiful and calm and cool and it allowed her to think. She glanced at her now silent partner, he also seemed to be deep in though. Immediately her thoughts moved to him, she seemed to be doing that lately. Just thinking about him.

If you had told her that her and Draco would be best friends four years down the line she would have probably hexed you for insulting her. Sometimes she still couldn't believe it. Four years of friendship with a Malfoy? Their friendship had started with a professsional realtionship as headboy and headgril. One year later after they graduated, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco had all become aurors at the tender ageof 19. Then the two of them would often be put on assignments together and well… the rest was history. _If only_, thought Hermione with an inward sigh. Oh god, she'd just sighed because of _Draco_, the world could not get any stranger.

"We're here," announced Draco. The sound of his voice pulled her out of her reverie. They had reached the spot they always disapparated from, which to Hermione just meant the end of her walk.

"See ya Granger." And with a crack he disapparated. Hermioned stared at the empty space and shook her head as the breeze tickled her skin. Did he have to be so abrupt? A hug would have been nice, even just a simple goodbye or just giving her back her bagpack, yup, that would have been lovely.

_You'll miss working with him¸_said the irritatingly honest part of her prain.

"Shut up!" she said to no one and then she disapparated

~XoXoXoXoXoXOXoXoXoXo~

Draco glanced at his watch. It was only 6p.m. Merlin, those children could dran a man. He was all too glad the week was over. Then the image of him and Hermione sittting down with a punch of kids, finger painting and laughing filled his mind. He tried to push it away but hermione's smile lingered on his memory.

_Damn Granger, _he thought. She'd turned him into a sentimentalist.

He had come home, showered and was all too ready to take a nap but NO…. he just HAD TO think of Granger and he just HAD TO remember her STUPID bagpack. Sighing he picked it up and apparated into her house.

Hermione's house was nice. It was simple and elegant and decorated with furniture he knew he would have picked out himself.

"Malfoy?" came a disembodied voice.

"Over here," he called from the sitting room. Draco wasn't sure but he thought he might have had Hermione curse.

"Draco," said Hermione, "what are you doing here?"

Draco would never admit it but he loved it when she said his name. they had been friends for all this time but she still called him 'Malfoy' most of the time.

"Stalking you apparently," he replied dropping her bagpack down. Hermione smiled and rushed over towards him and gave him a hug.

"Well," said Draco's puzzled voice. "You're welcome."

Hermione laughed nervously and blushed. Draco fought the urge to smile back. She was sent from hell to punish him for his sins.

"That's a sight you don't see everyday," noted Draco motioning to her legs, desperate for any change in topic. Hermione had worn shorts and a simple black top that was neigher too small or too bif. Her perfectly shaped lgs stretched on endlessly and her brown curls fell gently over her shoulders.

"Seriously Malfoy?" Draco thought she sounded exasperated. It didn't matter, he wouldn't be deterred.

"Very seriously," he answered letting his eyes wander.

Hermione punched him playfully on the shoulder then said, "Thanks Malfoy, I was going to pick it up tomorrow. I figured you would be tired."

"I am tired," he said shortly.

"You should stay for tea."

"It's 7p.m. Hermione"

"And you expect to sleep?"

"Some of us have places to be…" he mocked but he sat down. Hermione rolled her eyes and disappeared into the kitchen. She reappeared with a tin of ice cream and two spoons.

"You expect me to sit on the floor Granger?" asked Draco after she had set the tin down.

"It's always the smart ones," Hermione sighed. "This," she replied patting the ground, "is called a carpet."

Draco glanced heaven ward as if praying for help then joined her on the carpet. If it was anyone else he knew he wouldn't have sat.

"I never knew ice cream was termed as tea these days…" remarked Draco.

An eye roll was his only response.

"You know Hermione," continued Draco. "Your pupil will become permanently lodged at the back of your eye if you continue this relentless non-verbal communication of yours."

Hermione laughed and Draco revelled in the sound. "EAT!" she commanded stuffing a spoonful into his mouth.

"Gahh!"

Hermione choked with laughter.

"It's ice," Draco explained, "And don't make some snappy comment saying that's why its ice cream. This one is EXTRA cold.

"Your face…" gasped Hermione. Again Draco found himself fighting off a smile.

"Stop laughing," he said, in what he hoped was a chastising voice.

Hermione bit her lip. Damn the temptress. "Fine," she replied still smiling. "We'll talk instead. Why were you going to take a nap?"

"I was tired Granger…"

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Fine. You caught me," Draco replied. "I was going out with Jasmine and her friends."

"Was? Oh Draco! I'm so sorry… I made you miss it?"

_Oh Draco!_ Hermione's voice echoed in his mind. He had to think before he rememebr what she said after that.

"No. it's at ten… I still have more than enough time left."

"Oh," she said. Draco thought she sounded disappointed. "Well shoo! You better go and get rested for your date!"

"It's not a date."

"I thought you were passed that stage Malfoy."

"Ugh!"

"Uh-huh."

"No I swear… it's not a date. She just asked me to tag along with her and a couple of her friends."

"And she's so unbelievably beautiful you just had to say yes?"

Draco snorted, "Please. I told her I would try to make it. I'm _Draco Malfoy…._ I have to have you praying I would come." It was Hermione's turn to snort.

"Why all the interest anyway Granger?"

"Er…."

"Jealous?"

Hermione blushed and rolled her eyes and Draco had no idea what that meant. Hermione chose that moment to lie on the carpet with her eyes to the ceiling. On an uncharacteristic impulse, Draco decided to mimic her.

"You know…" he mused. "This just makes it harder to eat our ice cream."

Ever the pedantic, hermione picked up her spoon, carefully manoeuvring it to her mouth and swalloing slowly. It was a process.

"See?" she asked. "It's easy."

Yeah. Right, thought Draco and he cast a disbelieveing look at the figure beside him.

"Aren 't you going to get ready for your date?" Hermione asked.

"I told you… it's not a bloody date! Besides," he glanced at his watch, "two hours and fifteen minutes left."

"Hmmmm…."

"What?"

"I didn't expect you to want to be with me so much."

"Don't flatter yourself Granger… it's the ice cream you gave me."

"What about it?"

"It must have some potion in it, my limbs are so heavy, I can't move."

"Then stop eating," she reasoned.

"So you did put something in it!" He declared triumphantly

"We're eating from the same tin Draco."

There it was again… _Draco._

"Take it away from me," he answered dramatically.

"Fine." And Draco watched her move the tin from the middle of their bodies to the farthest point her hands could reach.

"Better?" she asked.

"Better."

They lay beside each other in companionable silence.

"Hermione?" Draco asked after a while.

"Hmmmm?" she answered sleepilly.

"What's up with you and Wasel?"

He heard her chuckle… she had never done that before.

"Malfoy… Ron and I broke up in seventh year."

"I know but… you havne't exactly been with anyone since. Are you still hang up on him?"

"I did too! I went out with Nicholas." Her bold brown eyes dared his stormy grey ones to challenge her.

"You went out with him so that people can stop thinking that you weren't over Weasley. It was an agreement."

Hermione took in a deep breath. "How do you know that?

"Because two years ago I met a poor drunk Nicholas at a bar after you dumped him."

They were both facing the ceiling so Draco couldn't see her eyes but he heard the shock in her voice.

"You mean he went and got himself drunk?"

"Yes."

"But we planned it and he was the on ewho was supposed break it off but he said it would be better if I did it. All this time I thought he was just being ncie."

"You underestimate how lovely a lady you are Hermione," Draco replied without thinking.

There was a dead silence after that.

"Thank you," she answered finally but Draco couldn't read her voice and he was afraid to look into her eyes in case she show what he was hiding in his owm.

"Draco…" Hermione called even more sleepily than before.

"Yes?"

"Relax."

He smiled and glanced towards her. He saw her eyes droop and her chest move unifromly up and down. He watcher her for a while before he too drifted off.

~XoXoXOXOXoXoXOxoXoXoXOXoXo~

Hermione wasn't sure what woke her up but she woke up with a start. She was lying on her carpet and near her- very near her- was a sound asleep Draco Malfoy. One of his hands was dropped over her and the other one he used for a pillow. Hermione shifter her positon so hat he was lying on her aback instead of her side and unwittngly glanced at the clock. She was half tempted to tlet it be but decided against it.

"Malfoy, malfoy," she called gently tapping his cheek.

"What?" he asked groggily.

"You may want to move your arm.

Draco opened his eyes sleepily and put his hands to himself. Hermione regretted that she ever opened her mouth.

"Also," she said, "It's 10p.m. on the dot, you can get ready in time while being perfectly fashionably late after they've already prayed for you to come."

Draco cast her an unreadable glance before standing up to stretch.

"Damn Granger! What is wrong with your floor?"

"What?" she asked, pullling her self up with this dangling hands.

"It's so bloody hard!"

Hermione smiled, "It's a floor Draco."

"Don't get smart with me."

"It's hardly what you call smart," she replied. Then, "Well?"

"What?"

"Aren't you leaving?" Hermione could have sworn thaat Draco rolled his eyes.

"I got held up."

"You can make it."

"I got held up!"

"Fine!" she snapped giving up. "So what do you plan on doing?"

"Oh, I don't know…" said Draco moving around. "Stare into yout eyes, rub your feet, watch you sleep or any other stalkerish thing."

"Your point?"

"Merlin's beard Granger! Don't you have a single romantic bone in your body? I could also memorize the lines and patterns of your carpet….. do you understand what I'm saying now?"

Hermione could only frown more and lean against the wall. Draco took in a heavy breath. "Hermione there's something that I've been trying to tell you for a very long time."

Hermione felt her hearbeat speed up but the rational part of her argued. You seriously can't expect it to be that!

"Please," scoffed Hermione, "if you have any problems with my furniture, most especially my carpet then just be blunt about it."

First there was silence then Draco's fit of laughter was uncontrollable. She had never heard him laugh like that and she found herself smiling too. Then suddenly Draco was running his fingers through her hair, his body close to hers, her chest suffering from colossal damage because of the beating of her heart. _He's touching my hair, _she thought.

"Granger…." he murmurred and there was something about the way that he said it that made her shiver. "I love you." And his lips met hers in a magical moment.

His mouth tasted of strawberry and chocolate ice cream. Hermione returned his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. Draco slid his had from her face down to her waist. His touch was lingering and it made her shiver. He turned his head to deepen the kiss and Hermione gently tugged his lower lip. Draco let out a small groan and she broke the kiss.

"Well," Draco announced, his breathing hard, "that was unexpected."

Hermione gave him a small, nervous smile, "So… in the light of the unexpected, feel free to memorise the lines and patterns of my carpet."

Draco took a step back and hermione felt herself begin to panic. He wasn't suppoed to do that, he was supposed to kiss her again and say soemthing to make her believe that this was actually happening.

Draco surveyed her critically from where he stood, "Are you saying what I think you're saying Granger?"

Hermione felt herself redden. Those stupid treacherous cheeks! "Yes," she replied, lookin to the ground. She looked up just in time to see the ghost of what had been a lovely smile fade away. Did I do that? She wondered.

"Well," Draco declared.

Hermione's lips twitched, "Well."

"So I guess since that's all cleared I'd better go for my date. See ya, Granger!"

Hermione's jaw dropped. Hec ouldn't… they'd just.. he was such a… What?

The mirth in Draco's voice was infuriating. "I forgot," he said with a smile in his voice. "You aren't really one for jokes." Hermione thought he didn't sound like he had forgotten at all. What exactly have you gotten yourself into Hermione Granger? But before she could get int a long heated dialogue with herself, Draco pulled her towards him and held her close for a while before she registered and put her arms around him. Draco let out a low attractive chuckle.

"You know Granger," he started, "this has got to be the strangest date in the history of dates."

"It's not a date," Hermione replied automatically.

Draco gave her a look and smiled gleefully like he had just won the lottery. "Harry and Ron are going to flip," he informed her happily.

She swatted his shoulder, "You're a sadist, you know that?" He grinned, Hermione continued, "They'll probably hex you till next year though."

Draco raised a disbelieveing eyebrow, "With you to defend me? I think not."

Hermione laughed, "How gallant of you," she remarked.

"You know me," answered Draco with mock sincerity. "Ever the gentleman and all that. For example; dear Hermione, are we going to stand here forever swaying to nonexistent music?"

Before Hermione could answer, Malfory had pulled her to the couch with him. They sat with Hermione's head on his chest and his arms around her. Hermione shifted her head so that she could look at him. "So what do we do now?" she asked.

Draco was silent as he pressed his lips to her forehead, "You wouldn't happen to have another tin of icce crea, would you Granger?"

FIN!

Ok… so tell me what you think? Was hermione too clueless? Was it too fluffly? Did you like it? Reviews are freakin food, sorry, I mean ice cream.


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